Document title

Pollen analyses of Late Cainozoic deposits in the Transvaal, South Africa, and their bearing on palaeoclimates in Palaeoecology of Africa and the surrounding islands. Volume 15. Southern African Society for Quaternary research. Proceedings.

Abstract

Palynological work on Late Cainozoic deposits from the Transvaal and its potential for palaeoclimatic reconstructions are briefly assessed. Up to now only organic spring deposits of late Quaternary age from the province have provided detailed pollen data which show that a long series of conspicuous changes in climate and vegetation occurred over the last 35 000 years. These changes include greater expansions of sub-humid montane, relatively dry savanna and cool ericaceous elements in the Late Pleistocene and relatively warm, dry and also slightly more mesic types of woodland in the Holocene.